PUTRAJAYA: Most parents who refuse to vaccinate their children are those who live in the cities and are highly educated, said Malaysian Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam.

“The ministry has detected nearly 1,600 children who did not get vaccinated last year and this figure is increasing every year. What we are concerned about is that these are educated people who know about the benefits of immunisation.

“It is a challenge to bring awareness to them and sometimes have to argue with them about the benefits of vaccines for their children. There are some parents practising homeopathy and believe homeopathic medicine will protect against all kinds of illnesses,” he told a press conference at his ministry here today.